Alabama game time set, other notes | Ole Miss Sports

The Ole Miss-Alabama game, Oct. 15 in Oxford, has been set for a 5 p.m. kickoff for ESPN2 television.

I have survived my first red-eye flight. We landed in Memphis about 7:15. I will head to Oxford shortly for the Monday presser. Notes on Twitter and the blog to follow.

Judging by some comments on the blog below, there’s not a feeling that the Rebels have “arrived.” That’s a good thing, because there’s lots of improvement to make.

Bradley Sowell is catching a lot of heat, but don’t expect any personnel moves on the offensive line. That would have been done alread if it was in the plan. Alex Washington started at left guard because of his knowledge and experience, and Sowell has more experience than anybody on the line.

What the Rebels showed in Fresno was the beginning of a run game. It won’t be a powerful, line up and blow your man off the ball on third-and-2 run game, but with a little better play up front, Randall Mackey’s big-play threat can keep people honest, and the Rebels can get some things done with Brandon Bolden’s lateral movement and Jeff Scott’s speed.

The problem is SEC defenses will be fast, and it won’t be easy to make a living bouncing the play outside. Bolden’s second touchdown at Fresno – in which he started right, reversed his field, broke two tackles and got the corner – doesn’t happen in the SEC.

But Fresno was a starting point. Mackey looked like he ran the offense well. The offense showed a pulse, and maybe it will continue to get better.

The defense is a concern. Giving up the yards and points they have the last two weeks, it’s going to become harder to make the key plays and keep teams out of the end zone.